News story about the offer by UK commercial radio group Capital Radio plc to sell its East Midlands station 'Century 106' to avoid competition issues arising from its merger with GWR Group plc, written by Grant Goddard in February 2005 for The Radio Magazine.

1. NEWS: CAPITAL RADIO WILL
SELL 'CENTURY 106' TO AVOID
COMPETITION ISSUES FROM
MERGER WITH GWR GROUP
by
GRANT GODDARD
www.grantgoddard.co.uk
February 2005

2. News: Capital Radio Will Sell 'Century 106' To Avoid Competition Issues From Merger With GWR Group Page 1
©2005 Grant Goddard
The Office of Fair Trading [OFT] is considering Capital Radio’s proposal to sell
East Midlands station 'Century 106' in order to avoid its merger with GWR
Group being referred to the Competition Commission. The OFT noted that,
without the sale of the station, there would be “a substantial lessening of
competition in relation to the supply of radio advertising airtime in the East
Midlands.” It said that “the East Midlands was one of the areas in respect of
which national advertisers raised concerns about inability to buy-around the
merging parties.” Before reaching its final decision, the OFT has invited views
from interested parties by its 4 March 2005 deadline.
[First published in 'The Radio Magazine' as 'Century 106 Sale Imminent', #672, 26 February 2005]
Grant Goddard is a media analyst / radio specialist / radio consultant with thirty years of
experience in the broadcasting industry, having held senior management and consultancy
roles within the commercial media sector in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. Details at
http://www.grantgoddard.co.uk